


(I Swear) By the Moon and the Stars in the Sky

by Rai_Knightshade



Series: The Bradyverse [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22732741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rai_Knightshade/pseuds/Rai_Knightshade
Summary: Mac and Jack's first date... Does not go perfectly. But like with all things in their lives, they've learned how to improvise.Or, Mac hyperfixates and Jack over thinks spaghetti. Bozer has no idea how either of them are still functional at this point.
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Wilt Bozer & Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: The Bradyverse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561579
Comments: 18
Kudos: 66





	(I Swear) By the Moon and the Stars in the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Let's roll back in time for a bit: what was Mac and Jack's early romantic relationship like? Here's a snapshot of that time, focusing on their first date. This takes place shortly after Jack comes back from hunting Kovacs, which I headcanon in this verse is sometime in 2021. Ask me about the timeline I tore my hair out a bit over sometime.
> 
> Also you can pull ADHD!Mac from my cold dead probably-also-adhd hands. Discussion of an unhealthy hyperfixation (hyperfixating to the exclusion of basic care like eating and resting) along with methods to monitor said hyperfixations.
> 
> Also also, Jack loves his science nerd boyfriend, just, so much. And you may quote me on that.

"Bozer I don't think I can do this."

"Dude, it's  _ spaghetti _ . Even you can't mess up spaghetti, Jack." Even over the phone, Wilt Bozer's tone was noticeably deadpan. "You're not quite as bad as Mac at cooking, no matter what you say."

Jack Dalton paced his kitchen floor nervously, still not convinced. "But what if the sauce burns, or the noodles aren't done enough, or Mac's suddenly allergic to tomatoes and we don't realize it and he goes into anaphylactic shock, or-"

"JACK!"

"...yeah?"

"Chill, man. Mac isn't gonna suddenly  _ not _ love you over a single date. He's loved you this long already, he's not gonna stop now, even if you dump the meal into his lap." Bozer's reassuring voice washed over Jack, and he leaned up against his counter with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I know, I know. It's just... This is our first official date, Boze-man. We've done the Pizza and Die Hard shit tons of times, sure, but this is... This is different, man. Mac's different. And I wanna make this perfect for him, especially if it's gonna be his last first date with someone. At least, I hope it is; it's gonna be mine for sure. I just wanna make sure he knows he's worth it, cause he's worth everythin' to me, man."

Bozer was quiet for a moment after Jack's little speech. "...Dude, you really are just a big cuddly teddy bear sometimes, huh? That may be singlehandedly the sappiest thing I've ever heard, though I'll reserve my judgement until after I hear your wedding speech. And I'm touched that you feel so strongly about this, especially when it comes to my boy Mac. But," Bozer paused for emphasis, "here's the thing about Mac that I've learned over 20+ years of knowin' him: he doesn't need perfection. Hell, Mac likes things just a little imperfect, cause then he can improve them. So trust me when I say this doesn't have to be 100% perfect, Jack. And what he won't tell you is that all he really needs is someone to care, to put in the effort and show that they think he's worth staying for. You just making the effort to do all this for him? That'll go damn near all the way in showing that you care, whether or not the date actually goes 'perfectly' or whatever. All you have to do is try, Jack; that's worth more to him than any perfect date."

Jack relaxed for what felt like the first time in hours, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd held. Tears pricked his eyes, but he held them back, not wanting to make this even more of a "Hallmark Moment" with his friend. "Thanks Boze; you know just how to cut through all the bullshit in my head, ya know that?"

Bozer chuckled over the line. "I've had years of practice, my man; you should see the inside of Mac's head sometimes. But I gotta go; Leanna's wanting me to look at another car with her."

"Go on, buddy, I think I've got this from here, especially after that pep talk." Jack and Bozer said their goodbyes, and Jack put his phone aside, turning towards the stove. "Alright, let's do this."

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Jack checked his watch for the thousandth time, pacing his kitchen nervously once more. Dinner prep had gone off without a hitch; the spaghetti was perfectly done, the sauce was perhaps a tad salty but still pretty good in Jack's estimation, and the garlic bread was well-seasoned and still soft. Now all Jack had to do was wait for Mac.

And wait.

And wait.

Dinner had actually been done about 2 hours before, and had been kept in the warm oven ever since. But Mac still hadn't shown up. Had he forgotten? Had he decided Jack wasn't worth it after all? All of Jack's insecurities came roaring back with a vengeance. 

Jack decided to finally bite the bullet and dialled Mac's phone. 

It went straight to voicemail.

Now a new fear started curling in Jack's belly: was Mac in trouble? The list of enemies who would love to get their hands on Mac was long, and some of the most dangerous had already been in his home before; had they gotten in again and Jack didn't realize it? He tried to think back to when he'd last spoken to Mac, but found he couldn't remember anything before a good morning text conversation that day. 

Making a decision, Jack packaged up his dinner for travel and blew out the candles on the dining table, then grabbed his keys and a coat and sprinted out to his GTO.

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Jack pulled up to Mac's house in record time, nerves mounting. He leapt out of his convertible and headed up the walk, testing the door knob and finding it still locked. He breathed a sigh of relief, since most of the enemies they'd made over the years probably wouldn't relock the door behind them. He knocked with a smile, but it fell when he received no answer. He knocked again, then pulled out his key when still no one answered.

He opened the door carefully, looking around. Nothing seemed out of place, but it was dark; there was only one light on in the kitchen, and none in the hall or living room. He shut the door behind himself and ventured farther inside, listening for any noise. Faintly, he thought he heard clanking from the back rooms.

"Mac?" Jack called out, a hunch on where his wayward boyfriend had gone forming in the back of his mind. "Hey, where you at, baby?"

A crash came from the direction of the clanking, then a door opened. The smell of light smoke permeated the room ahead of Mac, who appeared with his hair a mess, soot on his clothes and a wild grin on his face. "Hey! What're you doing here?" 

Jack looked at him incredulously. "Hoss, we haven't spoken in over 8 hours and when I called it went to voicemail; why d'ya think I'm here, man? I was worried you'd gotten lost or kidnapped or somethin'." He approached his boyfriend, putting his hands on the man's shoulders when he was close enough. "I'm just glad you're ok, but seriously, what have you been doin'?"

Mac blushed, running a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Oh, uh, sorry, Jack; I must've forgotten to charge my phone. I didn't mean to worry you, honest; I just got caught up in this project!" He brightened, and moved to turn back towards his bedroom and workroom. "It's a new design for a steam engine, I've been working on it all day; you wanna see it?"

Jack shook his head wryly, following Mac. "Well I s'pose I oughta, since it's what kept you from me for hours. A steam engine, huh?"

Mac nodded excitedly and launched into an explanation of his new design, pointing out his new blueprints and the prototype he'd been building for the past few hours. Jack listened quietly, just letting his boyfriend ramble. He watched as the blonde's eyes lit up with excitement with every point he made, and his hands moved wildly as he explained the inner workings. Jack felt any previous annoyance seep out of him, only love replacing it and filling his gaze.

Mac paused for a breath, then stopped completely, tilting his head like a confused puppy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jack smiled softly. "Cause I love you." Mac flushed at that.

"...Love you too." He averted his eyes for a moment, then looked back at Jack with an adoring gaze that Jack returned in kind. They stood like that for a long moment, just sharing in their love.

Mac snapped out of it first, shaking himself. He gestured towards the rest of the room. "Uh, anyways, that's.... Pretty much it. I hope I didn't bore you too much with my rambling."

Jack shut that thought down immediately. "Never. You could never bore me with the things you're interested in, darlin'. And I mean, you listen to my rants about my man Willis and Metallica and the great state of Texas; the least I can do is listen to you talk about all your brilliant ideas, even if I don't understand half of it. Far as I'm concerned you can ramble anytime you wanna, love. ...Although maybe not at the expense of another date," he added ruefully.

Mac looked confused. "Another date? What--" He stopped short, eyes widening and the color draining from his face as the memory finally caught hold. "...I forgot our date."

"Yup."

"That's why you're here, it was supposed to be two hours ago. Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry, it completely slipped my mind--"

"Hey! Hey, baby, it's no big deal," Jack rushed to explain, coming close and taking hold of Mac's hands.

"But it is a big deal!" Mac interjected. "It was our first true date  _ ever _ , it was supposed to be a special memory for us, and I ruined it by not even showing up and making you worry!" Mac looked close to tears.

"Mac, sweetheart... Not gonna lie, I thought that too, earlier; 'bout drove Bozer crazy with how many times I called him for advice on the spaghetti and making everything perfect." Mac only looked more anguished at that, so Jack rushed to continue. "But you know what he helped me realize? That it doesn't have to be perfect to still be meaningful; just caring enough to try is all we need to make the night special. And the night is still young! We can still have a perfect date night all our own; as long as we're together, it'll be perfect in its imperfections."

Mac smiled softly, tears shining in his eyes for a different reason now. "Anyone ever tell you you're a sap?"

"Bozer did today, actually."

They both chuckled softly. "Well you are. And I think you're right." Mac sobered quickly, anguish returning to his eyes. "But that still doesn't excuse me forgetting all about our date for a project."

"No, but I forgive you; we do gotta work on that hyperfixating tendency of yours, though. I'm a laid-back guy, man, I don't mind missing a few events cause you got distracted; that brain a'yours is one of the reasons I love you, in fact! But hoss, I know that date wasn't the only thing you forgot to do today, and your body ain't so lenient." Jack's brows furrowed in worry. "You gotta take better care of yourself, babe; take breaks, eat, get some rest in, or your body's gonna burn out one of these days and it ain't gonna be a fun recovery."

Mac nodded. "You're right, of course; I don't remember when I last ate something that wasn't a power bar and a coffee, but I'm sure it's been hours. I'll try to work on it."

"And I'll try to help you out, maybe by checking in on you every few hours, yeah? I don't need constant check ins, a'course, I ain't a clingy high school boyfriend, but a simple 'I ate and took a short break' message every few hours while you're working would help so you have some accountability here." Mac nodded more firmly in agreement, a resolution visible in his eyes.

"I can do that, though it may be hard to remember at first; maybe I'll set a timer on my phone?" Mac's eyes glittered with promise, his brain already running a mile a minute coming up with ideas to help him take care of himself.

Jack grinned widely. "That's the spirit! Now that we've got that out of the way, what say you to redoing this date? Starting with a trip to the shower for you; I love ya, baby, but you're lookin' a little rank right now," he said with a pointed look at Mac's soot stained clothes.

Mac, for his part, looked sheepish. "Yeah, uh, turns out building a small steam engine is a lot dirtier than you might think. I'll go hop in the shower then, while you figure out the food situation? Cause I'm starvin', big guy."

"Well what a coincidence that I happened to bring that spaghetti I made with me, made with a Bozer-approved recipe. I'll go grab it out of the GTO and reheat it while you're showerin', and find us somethin' to watch while we eat."

"Not Die Hard!" Mac cut in hastily. "I love you too, but we are not watching Die Hard again for our first official date, I refuse."

Jack pouted playfully. "But it's a classic!"

"It's a classic we've already watched literally hundreds of times, Jack; maybe we don't need to pull out all the bells and whistles for our first date, but we should at least do something new."

Jack relented easily. "You're right; how about a new movie or TV show instead? Something that we can share as a romantic couple, rather than just a coupl'a best friends turned lovers?"

Mac nodded cheerfully. "Yeah! I don't remember anything I've been meaning to watch off the top of my head, but I'm sure you can find something." He turned and made sure everything in the workroom was turned off, then turned back to Jack with an excited bounce. "Alright, let's do this!"

Jack matched his excitement with a grin of his own. "Hell yeah baby! First date part two! But first..." He paused dramatically, then reeled Mac in with a strong hand snaked around to the small of the blonde's back. He pulled him in for a kiss, pouring all of his love and affection into his movements. Mac took it in stride, wrapping his arms around Jack's neck and moving his lips along with Jack's. After a moment they both pulled apart, resting their foreheads together.

Jack's eyes were hooded as he spoke. "Or maybe I could join you in that shower?"

Mac chuckled. "Then we'd never get clean, cowboy. Plus you just took a shower this morning, it'd be a little redundant to have another now."

"Spoilsport," Jack grumbled.

"Later, k?" Mac paused to think, then giggled lightly. "Ya know, I'm not really one to put out on a first date, come to think of it." At Jack's aghast look, he continued, "But I think considering the circumstances I'll waive that little hang up for you... As long as you let me shower and go get the food."

Jack let out a relieved sigh. "Darlin', don't scare me like that; thought you'd come to your senses or somethin'." He pulled away reluctantly and stepped to the doorway, saluting when he stopped in the threshold. "Alright, I'm goin'. One home-cooked meal, comin' right up!" Mac laughed brightly as his boyfriend left the room, following him shortly thereafter and heading to his own room to shower and get ready for his very last first date ever (not that he knew it right then, of course... He had a feeling, though).

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Later, when they were curled up together on Mac's couch eating Jack's spaghetti and watching a new procedural focused on first responders, Mac cleared his throat during a commercial and put down his spaghetti to turn towards Jack. The Texan made a questioning noise cause his mouth was full and put down his food in turn, turning to face Mac as well. The blonde looked like he was searching for the right words, before he finally found them.

"Jack... Thank you. For--for all of this; cooking us dinner, coming to me when I forgot the world for hours on end, listening to me ramble for 20 minutes about steam engines, and for reworking this whole night so we could still have a nice date. I know I'm not... The easiest person to deal with, that I can be a lot at times, so I appreciate the effort you put in to work with me, more than I can say. It means a lot, to me, that you care enough to try this with me."

Jack gazed at the man he was slowly realizing might be the love of his life with all his feelings on display. "Darlin', other people might think you're difficult, but they're wrong; bein' with you, working on this relationship with you? It's as easy as breathin' to me. And I'll keep doin' it for as long as you'll let me."

"Forever?" Mac asked, a vulnerable look in his eyes.

"'Til we kaboom, baby, and even after that." To punctuate his statement, he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss to Mac's lips. They shared a soft smile, before Jack turned back to the RV where the program was resuming. "Now, let's talk about how gay these two firefighters are."

Mac nodded with a chuckle. "Right?! They're practically raising a kid together; ten bucks says they get together by the end of next season." The two launched into an animated discussion on the characters' relationship, relishing in this shared new experience together. And together they came to a mutual realization.

Formal dates were overrated anyways.


End file.
